https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/our-research/research-and-innovation/critical-research-intensive-care/
Critical research in intensive care
5 Aug 2019, 9:36 a.m.
A UK-wide clinical trial looking at what is the best level of oxygen to aim for children who are on ventilation in intensive care is set to launch later this year.The project has received £1.5 million of funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme. Led by Professor Mark Peters at GOSH with the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre, the study aims to recruit 2000 children from 15 NHS paediatric intensive care units (PICU) across the country. Getting the correct levels of oxygen could allow critically ill children to receive less intensive treatment and help them recover faster.
In the UK, around 20,000 children are admitted to intensive care each year and about 75% will receive additional oxygen through a ventilator. In this study, which is known as Oxy-PICU, patients will be randomly assigned to have their blood oxygen levels kept at a lower level (88-92%, which is still within recommended guidelines) or at the level currently used (95-100%). The team will follow up all the children in the study after 90-days and one year to see how they are after leaving PICU.
While some research has shown that very low oxygen levels are harmful, other research has shown that very high levels may also be dangerous. In adults high oxygen levels can lead to worse outcomes in emergencies, such as heart attacks and strokes but because of the differences in how children’s bodies function compared to adults, it is important that research is carried out to help doctors and nurses make more informed decisions about the best oxygen levels to use for children in intensive care.
The new trial follows on from a smaller pilot study, supported by GOSH Children’s Charity, which involved 107 patients from three UK intensive care units. The pilot showed that a full study was feasible and acceptable to families so Oxy-PICU will now be scaled up to a full trial.
The Oxy-PICU trial is part of an active programme of research in intensive care at GOSH with research ongoing into monitoring how best to manage fever in intensive care patients and into how much fluid to replace for patients who have experienced circulatory shock. Last year, the First-ABC trial, which will compares two different techniques for first line breathing support for 1200 critically ill children across 25 UK PICUs, was also awarded £1.5 million of funding from the NIHR HTA. The First-ABC study, led by Dr Padmanabhan Ramnarayan, follows on from a pilot trial funded by GOSH Children’s Charity, which involved 121 children who needed breathing support.
Raising awareness on Rare Disease Day
To celebrate Rare Disease Day we invited patients and their families to try out 13 different hands-on and interactive fun and educational science and research activities for children and adults.
Stem cells collected in late pregnancy herald advances in prenatal medicine
A new pioneering approach, developed by researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital means human development can be observed in late pregnancy for the first time
A moment of discovery: extraordinary images showcase research at GOSH
A vibrant image helping researchers' study gastrointestinal diseases and their potential treatments has been crowned the winner of the 3rd annual National Institute for Health and Care Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR
172 years of leaps in medical science at GOSH
Today on Wednesday 14 February, GOSH is celebrating its 172nd birthday. With 2024 being a leap year, we wanted to look back at some of the leaps that we have made in medical science over the past 172 years